Combination piano and organ player mechanism.



Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

II. S. IRVINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I4. I9I5.

f /a. y M r RICHARD S. IRVINE,

OF SAN FRANCISCO,

CALIFORNIA.

COMBINATION PIANO AND ORGAN PLAYER MEOHANISM.

Application filed September 14, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD S. IRVINE, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Combination Piano and Organ Player Mechanisms; and I do declare the following to be a clear, full, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in musical instruments, the object of the invention being to produce an electrically controlled contact means whereby when one instrument is played, another instrument may be automatically played in conjunction therewith.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposes for which it is designed.

T hcse objects, I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of the parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

(In the drawings, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a piano action showing my improved contact means for operating the mechanism of another instrument such as a pipe-organ or the like.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a fragmentary portion of a piano action showing the contact means.

Fig. 3 is a detached perspective view of the contact member.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the flange rail of the piano connected with which, in the usual manner, is the abstract 2.

In providing my improved structure, I dispose upon the top of the rail 1 what I will term the contact bar 3.

For each of the abstracts 2 I provide the following contact structure, namely: The numeral l designates any suitable source of electrical energy having one of its wires 5 leading to the contact bar 3 where it is fixed rigidly by means of a clamping rail 6, from which rail 6 said Wire 5 projects to a point adjacent one side of the abstract 2. I then provide one or more other wires 7 likewise Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

Serial No. 50,605.

clamped to the bar 3 by the rail 6, which wires also project adjacent the abstract 2 and if there are more than one of the wires 7, I provide the abstract 2 with a corresponding number of vertical slots 8 so that the wires 5 and 7 may be separated one from the other to prevent a short circuit. The wires 7 lead through any suitable electrical connections to electro-magnets 9, each adapted to operate a key 10 of another instrument. If I have two or more of the wires 7 for each of the wires 5, the same are used for connection with the mechanism for operating different octaves of the second instrument by means of the usual structure commonly used for that purpose (not here shown). The electro-magnets 9 or other electrical apparatus used for the purpose are connected in a suitable manner by a wire 11 with the source of electrical energy 4:.

The contact member for making connection between the wires 5 and 7 is as follows, namely: I provide a small clip 12 having an open slot 13 which receives a set screw let engaging the abstract 2 for the purpose of clamping the clip 12 at any desired point on the abstract. On the upper end of the clip 12 is a small contact pin 15. In practice, the clip 12 is adjusted on the abstract 2 so that the contact pin 15 will engage all of the wires 5 and 7 when the abstract 2 moves upwardly with the playing of the piano key.

Thus when the piano key is moved manually or automatically and the abstract 2 moves upwardly in response thereto, the pin 15 makes a. connection between the wires 5 and 7 and a current is then completed from the source of electrical energy 4, through the wire 5, pin 15, wires 7, electro-magnets 9, wire 11 and source of supply t. The electromagnets are then thrown into action in the usual manner and attract the keys 10 causing them to be operated simultaneously with the operation of the piano key with an apparent result.

From the foregoing description, it will readily-be seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfils the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice, such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. The combination of a piano and another musical instrument, the latter having electrically operating connections, such connections including wires spaced apart and held fixed adjacent an abstract of the piano action, the abstract being provided with slots through which a part of the wires project, and a member carried by the abstract and arranged to more into contact with the said wires with a movement of the abstract to bridge the gap between the wires and complete the electrical circuit and cause the other instrument to play simultaneously with the piano.

2. A device 01": the character described comprising the combination with the abstract of a piano action, of a plurality of wires projecting adjacent said abstract and being separated one from the other, electri- Cally controlled apparatus for operating other musical instruments, a source of electrical encr such source of electrical energy being connec =-d with one of said first named wires and with. said electrically controlled apparatus, the others or first named wires being connected with said electrically controlled apparatus, a member carried by the abstract and adapted to move into contact with all of: said wires with the movement of said abstract to complete a circuit from said source of electrical energy through said wires to said electrically controlled apparatus, as described.

in testimony whereof I ailiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. IRVINE.

ll itnesses:

inncr S. lVnBs'rnn, Vjsnaoinn WARNER.

Uopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 3. 

